Etymology

idée mère

Today it means: A fundamental idea or guiding principle, seen as giving rise to something. Full definition →

First used 19th c.French idée mère
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The story

  1. French · derived fromidée mère
  2. English todayidée mère

From French idée mère.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 19th c. A fundamental idea or guiding principle, seen as giving rise to something.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.